Presentation Skills

1
Presentation Skills

• Lecture 6

2
Oral Presentations

• The Paper
• Presentation Skills
• Use of Audio-Visual Aids
• Handling Questions
• Coping with Nerves

3
The Paper

• Most presentations are based on a written paper.
• Main benefit of presenting the work orally as
  well as in written form is that you get immediate
  feedback on your work from other people in your
  chosen field

4
Presentation Skills - 1

• Give yourself plenty of time before your
  presentation to prepare.
• Practise your presentation to make sure it runs
  to time.
• Have notes handy in case you dry up. Make sure
  the notes are legible and that you are totally
  familiar with the order in which you want to say
  things.

5
Presentation Skills - 2

• Always start by introducing yourself and the
  topic you are going to talk about.
• Tell your audience exactly how the talk will be
  structured.
• Sum-up what you have said on a concluding slide.
• Try not to cover too much ground.

6
Presentation Skills - 3

• Try not to read from a script.
• Maintain eye contact with your audience.
• Make sure you audience can hear you - dont talk
  to quickly, take the odd pause now and then.

7
Audio Visual Materials

• Do make use of illustrative materials, e.g. OHP
  slides or PowerPoint Presentations.
• They will help to get your message across.
• They also serve as a useful aid memoir.

8
Audio Visual Check List

• Dont put too much on each slide.
• Use a large font.
• Ensure slides are relevant.
• Make sure any animation or sound does not cause
  an unwanted distraction.
• Ensure slides are free of Spelling/Grammatical
  errors.

9
Handling Questions

• Leave time for questions, they are a good way of
  getting feedback.
• Consider your answer and make sure you understand
  the question - if not ask for clarification.
• If you dont know the answer be honest and say so.

10
Coping with Nerves

• Most people are nervous when giving
  presentations.
• The best way to avoid nerves is to practise your
  presentation.

11
Summary

• Be prepared - Practise your talk.
• Look at and talk to your audience rather than
  reading directly from notes.
• Make use of appropriate audio-visual aids.
• Introduce yourself - say what you are going to
  talk about, say how you are going to do this
  (structure), give the talk, and then sum-up your
  findings.
• Leave time for questions.